Cuba Gooding Jr. Says He's 'Absolutely Not' Guilty after Groping Allegation

Cuba Gooding Jr. is maintaining his innocence concerning groping allegations leveled against him by a woman. The actor explained what happened and claimed he is “absolutely not” guilty.

News broke earlier this week that the “Jerry Maguire” star allegedly groped a woman while partying at a club in New York.

“I trust the system and the process to speak for itself,” Cuba, 51, told TMZ on Tuesday night as he boarded a plane from LA to New York. “There's a tape that shows what really happened; that’s the most important thing.”

HIS SIDE OF THE STORY

When asked point blank if he was guilty of the accusations, the actor replied: “No. Absolutely not!” Narrating what went down on Sunday night, Cuba insisted that “nothing” like groping took place.

“I was at a club, I left, I met a bunch of people, I said ‘hello,’ I took pictures and, you know, you have to have faith in what people say. …I believe in the system and let the process speak for itself.”

TURNING HIMSELF IN

Sources close to the actor had also told TMZ that he would be turning himself in at the NYPD Special Victim's Unit on Thursday where he’ll likely be booked for a misdemeanor charge of forcible touching. Cuba was reportedly going to turn himself in accompanied by his lawyers Peter Toumbekis and Mark J. Heller.

NEW DEVELOPMENT

In a new update, however, Heller told the outlet the initial plan for Cuba to hand himself over to the police might not be a reality after viewing the bar’s surveillance video from the night his client allegedly groped the woman.

According to Heller, the footage shows "absolutely no criminality taking place on the part of” Cuba, and it’s not likely the authorities will still push for his arrest after seeing the clip as well.

THE ACCUSER'S SIDE OF THE STORY

Page Six reported on Monday that a 30-year-old woman claimed Cuba grabbed her breasts while partying at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge in Midtown Manhattan around 9 pm.

The woman claimed he was drunk when the incident happened and said she and Cuba got into an argument immediately after he touched her appropriately, prompting security to break them up. The woman called 911 around 1 am, but responding officers did not find Cuba when they searched the area for him.

CUBA'S ONGOING DIVORCE

The “People v. O. J. Simpson” star, who is in the process of divorcing his estranged wife, has reportedly earned a reputation for partying hard in recent years.

Cuba married Sara Kapfer in 1994 and filed for divorce in 2017 after Sara first filed for legal separation in 2014. The pair shares three kids; sons Spencer, 24, and Mason, 22, and 13-year-old daughter, Piper.

NEW BEAU?

Recently, Cuba was spotted getting cozy with Claudine De Niro, the estranged daughter-in-law of actor Robert De Niro’s son, Raphael. Robert and Cuba co-starred in 2000’s “Men of Honor.”

Rumors linking Cuba and Claudine first surfaced in 2018 and in March 2019, the couple was seen having fun at the Miami Beach.